Discover La Verne

With the rugged backdrop of the San Gabriel Mountains, the City of La Verne provides residents and visitors a glimpse of the past in the midst of contemporary living.

Rich History of La Verne

La Verne was founded in 1887 by Los Angeles businessman Issac Lord as a railroad boomtown to capture Midwesterners enticed by fierce competition between the Southern Pacific and Santa Fe Railroads. The grand 60 room Lordsburg hotel was built but never had a paying guest. See the City History page.

When the boom busted in 1889, M. M. Eshelman, a member of the Brethren Church, was instrumental in bringing an influx of Brethren people to the area so their youth could attend college in the now-transformed hotel. In 1891 Lordsburg College was established; today that institution is the well respected University of La Verne, home to 7,396 full-time equivalent students as of 2019. See the University of La Verne website for more information.

  1. Historic Lordsburg
  2. Carrion Adobe
  3. Green Spaces & Recreational Places
  4. Civic Center
  5. Public Art
  6. Foothill Boulevard
  7. Paper Pak
  8. San Polo Business Park
  9. Video Tour

Lined by towering Deodar trees (Cedrus deodara), Third Street epitomizes the architecture of early La Verne. The heart of Lordsburg (Old Town La Verne) is home to a wide variety of businesses along "D" Street.

Mainiero Square, at the southwest corner of "D" and Third Street, is a pocket park that leads to the eastern edge of the University of La Verne campus. Mainiero Square was rededicated in the spring of 1995, after extensive redesign and landscaping.

Queen Anne condominiums at Bonita and E Street combine features from buildings within a two-mile radius, making the project characteristic of the Lordsburg area.

Cafe Allegro provides sidewalk dining on Third Street, just east of "D" Street. The popular Italian cuisine allures diners for lunch and dinner.

The imposing tower of The Brethren Church on "E" Street, exemplifies Gothic Moderne architecture.